Having become a fan of James Patterson since reading the novels Kiss the Girls and Along Came a Spider and then watching the movies, I was
still a bit skeptical when I heard about a new television show that would be
based on a series of Patterson novels. While Patterson’s novels have proven to
translate well into movie format, I have yet to see a novel do that well on
television other than via mini-series. However, since I do like Patterson’s
work and have always thought Angie Harmon a talented and extremely under-rated
actress, I decided to check Women’s Murder Club out.

Based on the
Women’s Murder Club book series by James
Patterson, ABC’s television series is about four hard working San
Francisco-based professional women who come together to solve murders. The
series’ first episode, which aired on Friday, October 12, 2007 at 9:00PM EST,
began with quite a bang. San Francisco homicide investigator Lindsay Boxer
(Angie Harmon - Baywatch Nights,
Law and Order) pulls up to a street
corner in a suitably fashionable sports car, gets out, looks around and checks
her phone message. Apparently, exposé journalist Theresa Woo has asked Lindsay
to meet her here, but was very secretive as to why. Just as Lindsay begins to
think Woo will not show, the journalist makes a grand entrance crashing into
Lindsay’s car from quite a few stories above.

The second member of the club just happens to
be a Medical Examiner and Claire Washburn (Paula Newsome - Little Miss Sunshine) arrives on scene to check out the body upon which she will perform
an autopsy later in the show. We meet another member of the team shortly
afterward as Deputy District Attorney Jill Bernhardt (Laura Harris – 24,
The Dead Zone) arrives on the scene and promptly pukes at the site of Woo’s
broken body lying atop Lindsay’s car. We don’t meet the fourth and final member
of the Women’s Murder Club until later in the episode when Lindsay decides to
check Woo’s office for evidence. It is here that Lindsay meets Theresa Woo’s
wannabe co-worker Cindy Thomas (Aubrey Dollar –
Point Pleasant). Cindy has long been a fan of the
Pulitzer winning journalist and is willing to translate Woo’s notes in an effort
to find her killer…and get a little notoriety to boot.

As I watched the show, I became more drawn in by the characters. We
don’t just see these professional women at their work. We also learn a bit
about their professional lives. As a woman working in a primarily
male-dominated field, I found that I related to these characters, completely
understanding their ups and downs throughout the first episode. But this show
isn’t all drama. As television fans and producers alike have realized, a
dramatic cop show needs a little humor here and there. The characters are
quirky and the banter between them quite enjoyable. I cracked up when Cindy
asked if Lindsay, Jill and Claire were part of some club and all three
simultaneously said no and walked in opposite directions. I even loved the
banter between Lindsay and her ex-husband Tom (Rob Estes - Silk Stalkings,
Melrose Place), as she deals with the fact that his new promotion now makes
him her boss.

For the most part, I only have one or two complaints. When Lindsay
places the handcuffs on Cindy – I won’t tell you why or I’ll spoil things – she
places them on her forearms. I’m wondering if I’m the only one who noticed
this. Anyone in law enforcement will tell you that this is a big no-no as all
the arrested party has to do is wriggle a bit to get the cuffs to slide down
their arms, making it fairly easy for them to slide their wrists out of the
cuffs – especially with someone whose wrists appear to be rather small. Also,
the scene in Jill’s office with the defense attorney was just a bit cloying.
I’m not a fan of Kyle Secor (Veronica Mars,
Commander in Chief), so maybe that was the problem, but I find it
strange that she was apprehensive about being caught by her boss earlier when
her boyfriend visited and now - when things would be even worse if she was
caught – not so much.

From what I’ve seen so far, I think this show may have some staying
power. The mysteries are Closer-esque in that there are twists and turns
that lead you off in the wrong direction before pulling you back to reveal the
killer’s identity. We get to see two sides of the women – the crime-solving
tough and self-assured side and the off-duty side that differs from character to
character. Women’s Murder Club will appeal to women thanks to the strong
female lead characters in roles usually seen played by men. As an added plus
there are some very attractive men playing supportive roles that women will want
to ogle at. And of course, men will enjoy the action as well as the easy on the
eyes female leads. I’m definitely going to continue watching Women’s Murder
Club every Friday at 9PM on ABC.